His voice isn’t limited to audible words.

I probably over talk about Love Languages and I’m ok with that. But I am fascinated by our bodies, our personalities, and how we all receive things, how we fit together, and why we do what we do. It points me back our Maker every time. How did He create us so intricately? So differently? So perfectly? So unique? It’s truly amazing.

One of the amazing things about us as His creation is that we all feel Him in different ways: some people feel alive and most in sync with God when they see a sunset, for some it’s during a worship set, for others it’s reading a book or journaling, or through a conversation with someone else. That last group of people– that includes me. Any time words can be involved or are involved I’m pressing in, I’m opening my ears, I’m fighting the clamor, I’m trying to hear Jesus. Oftentimes I do hear Him–after all He is my Father, He created me, He knows this is how I come alive with Him, so He talks.

But lately things have looked a bit different.

At first, in true human fashion I got mad.
“GOD, SERIOUSLY???” Silence.
“REALLY? I’M ASKING YOU TO SPEAK TO ME!” Silence.
“WHERE ARE YOU??” Silence.
“WHY CAN’T I HEAR YOU?” Silence.
S.I.L.E.N.C.E

Or so I thought.

See for the past few months I’ve been praying fervently that Jesus would show me how to love how He loves. So in true Jesus fashion He was showing me.

By default I receive love the most in words and I give love the most in acts of service and gifts but Jesus, He gives and receives love in COUNTLESS ways. He isn’t stuck in a default setting and because of His ability to change us and grow us, neither are we.

I wasn’t “hearing” Jesus but that did’t mean He wasn’t loving me. In the last two months He has taught me so much about love and he did so in some pretty unexpected ways. He met me where I was and He showed me how to love in more ways than just giving gifts and performing tasks, He showed me that words don’t always get the job done.

For example words aren’t useful when you need to give space and time to someone. Words become inadequate in foreign countries where you don’t know the language. Words can’t stop someone from making a decision you don’t agree with. In those times you have to love differently. You have to love those who you can’t see or talk to with a spiritual, prayerful kind of love that doesn’t need to be communicated to be felt. You have to love those people who can’t understand you with smiles, with hugs, and with body language. You can’t smother those decision makers with your love, you can only offer it and let them choose whether or not they want it.

So maybe I haven’t heard Jesus very much in the last 60 days but I’m ok with that. Because I’ve felt Jesus in the tender hand holding of Bengali children and in the strong bond of my community. I’ve seen Jesus in the form of flowers, sunsets, and missionaries. I’ve experienced Jesus in the way my pastor leads his staff. I’ve better understood Jesus’ pursuit of His creation by the way I myself am being pursued.

It’s been two months but my heart feels like its been seasoned by two years of love languages. Jesus is really sweet that way, He’s outside of time and sometimes He teaches us a bounty of lessons in a short time.

See all that time I thought He wasn’t speaking to me. I was wrong, He was. He was there, every step of the way, He was answering my prayer. He was teaching me to love like He loves. His voice isn’t limited to audible words.